The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-02-17
THE action of the Ohio House, in

'ejecting the bill unanimously passed
oy the Senate, authorising the Cover
nor to offer a reward of $40, 900 for the
capture of the desperadoes who assas-
sinated brave officer and inflicted
iujurIes which jeopardised the life of
another, having in custody one of
their confederates in crime, is, to say
the least, a surprise to all who desire
that no stone shall be left unturned in
the endeavor to capture these murder
Gus bandits. The boldness and sue.
cessful execution of the act is without
parallel in the criminal annals of our
State, and has aroused its citizens in
every locality to the imperative duty
and necessity of prompt and thorough
action ON the part of both State and
local authorities in apprehending these
bod assassins. Our wise SolOns-our
own Representative among the num-
ber-are fearful of precedents-assert-
ing that theirs is legislative, not an
executive, body; that the power to
offer rewards for the capture of noto.
rious and dangerous criminals, even
though they wear the mark of Cain
on their brow, should be restricted to
county and corporate authorities; that
only when they have succeeded in ter
rorising State or community, should
the Governor be vested with ths au.
thority and power to stimulate the
endeavors to capture murderers ana
outlaws, by offering reward by the
State for their apprehension. We are
of the opinion that if any of these
pigmy wiseacres had happened to be
in the car in which this murderous
and desperate assault took place. and
y mysterious providence had permit
led them to escape the bullets which
these dcsperadoes furiOusly fired from
their revolvers that they might disa
able and overpower these brave Off
GERS and intimidate any attempt to
aid them. it would have suggested the
belief that the desperadoes fer whose
arrest it was sought to empower the
State to offer the paltry sum of $40. .O0C
| for their capture, might, ii suffered to
commit such acts with comparative
impunity, become terror to an aver
age community.
Possibly our distinguished and wise
Representatives (F. w. among the
number) who voted against the bill
are wholly oblivious as to the feeling
throughout our own as well rs other
States, ,as 10 the Importance of the cap
ture of these desperadoes, which re-.
quires money as we'll as men skilled in
| the hazardous duties of the detective
We do not know that because the
crime happened TO be committed in
| Ravenna, that it obligated our Mayor
to offer reward of $500. or our Co
Commissioners one of 81 900 for. the
arrest of the murderers,an any more thar
any other town or county to take sim
liar action.
The following from the CLEVELAND
Leader, as to the duty of the State, ID
the correct view of the matter:
! The ENTIRE STATE INTERESTED
The fact that the assault upon Captain
| Hoehn and Detective Hulligan Was
committed in a particular county ol
Ohio, does not relieve the state from
responsibility for the arrest of the
murderers The officers were engaged
in serving State writ, and the assault
was committed upon great transpOr
tatIOn line extending across the State
| That the assault was committed in
| Portage county instead of Stark sum
nit, tolum biana or Cuyahoga, has
| nothing to do with the reward and al
a matter of fact it is no more the duty
of the Commissioners of Portage ooun.
ty to offer u reward, than it was of the
| Commissioners of Columbiana and
Stark counties, through which the
| villains rode before they committed
| the awful crime The State, and the
State alone, it seems to us, should bear
the expense of capturing the scoun.
drels. The people of Cuyahoga coun
ty are, however. ready and willing to
pay their share of the reward, and
they will be only too happy to assist
i'll running down the murderers Oi
Detective Hulligan. II must not be
forgotten, however, that the whole
capturing these murderers.
Probably this and like views ex-
pressed by the press throughout the
State, induced some of those opposing
the bill to change their votes on its
reconsideration and vote for the meas
ure as amended. authorising the Gov.
ernor to offer reward of 5000.
1t may cause loss of sleep and rest
less anxiety on the part of those thus
changing their votes 1--WE trust F. WIS
slumbers may not thus be disquieted)
that they have thus recklessly set a
precedent for squandering the money
of the State, for the purpose of captur-
ing murderous criminals, but by min
Cling little with their constituency,
if perchance they have arrived at that
state of mental development in which
they are capable of conceiving the fact
if only in semi comprehensive de
gree-that the people of this State
regard the safety and lives of its citi-
zens as of more importance than few
thousand dollars, h y may regain
their wonted equanImity and repose,
and lie down to pleasant dreams of
the lessened burdens of taxation,
through their instrumentality, of our
State, by reason of its endeavors to
stimulate efforts to capture the assas-
sins whose reckless daring enabled
them to rescue a confed rate, while
in custody of officers, on one of our
main lines of travel, their success in
volvIng the death of one, and the ter
rible injury of another brave officer.
THE Cincinnati Times Star (Repub-
lican) in speaking of the Presidents
veto of the pauper pension bill, says
President Cleveland has vetoed the
pauper pension bill. This will be a
bitter disappointment to many, and
will subject the President to severe
criticism in certain quarters, but on
fuller consideration his act will be ap.
proved by thoughtful men of all par
ties. There is no question but that
the Government should pay, and pay